The Limit
by weepies
Summary: She joined their journey with the desire to heal. She left the world with a wish of happiness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. I only own Amaterasu Reiki and the plot of this fanfiction.

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

Just keep running. They'll stop looking soon enough.

My legs carry me as far as I can go, but I know that I must rest. I shall continue running after I gain my energy back. Those demons won't get to me, I won't let them. Those villagers deserved to be healed and they know it. I stop behind a tree, panting heavily as I bend down, resting my hand on my knee. "Inuyasha, just hang in there." I hear a young girl speak from behind the tree. My breathing hitches and I stay silent, trying to steady my ragged breaths. I stand up straight before peering over the tree to see what's going on.

I notice a group of people surrounding one man on the floor. I pick up my rucksack and walk over to the group quickly. "Is he injured?" I ask them, looking down at the hanyou on the floor.

"Who are you?" A monk asks me. I walk over to the half-breed and sit down by him, setting my rucksack down next to me. I pull off his robe so that his chest is bare. I look back up at his friends and explain myself. "I am Reiki, I am a palm healer." They all exchange looks between themselves and nod, convinced. "Your friend only has a little bit left until the miasma travels throughout his body. Go get him some water." After that I hear somebody shuffle through their bag, searching for the refreshing beverage.

The half-breed winces in pain as I press softly on his chest, feeling for the area that is most damaged. Once finding it, I press down and focus on miasma. My hands begin to shake as the poisonous gas travels through my fingers and into my lungs. And there they will perish. I let out a moan of pain but the miasma quickly vanishes from my system.

I retract my hands from the boy and look down at his face. I grab his red outfit and wrap him back up in it. I then stand up, catching the gaze of everybody. "Thank you," Oh, so the hanyou speaks. I don't reply, just stand up and look around, waiting to see if I hear the sounds of the demons previously chasing me. "What did you say your name was?" A young girl dressed in extremely weird clothes asks me. "Reiki," I reply, smiling slightly at her.

"Thanks a bunch!" She shouts. Her aura tells me that she's both relieved and content with the outcome of my arrival. "Inuyasha, how are you feeling?" Inuyasha. That must be the half-breed.

"Fine." He eyes me suspiciously. "Hey, how come I've never heard of palm healing before?" He questions, rising to his feet.

"I'm the last." I explain, looking at him.

"Well, where did the miasma go after it left my body?" He asks curiously.

"Into mine." I watch as all their eyes widen. "But my body purifies it, so it becomes harmless."

"I've never heard of a palm healer with that kind of power," The monk says, coming closer to me. "What else are you capable of?" I'm about to reply, but I feel his hand lay itself on my butt. I slap it away, blushing a deep crimson. "Keep your hands to yourself!" I snap, slapping him across the cheek. Everyone in the bunch seems to be used to behavior like that, so I drop the subject. "Wow, we could really use someone with an ability like that to travel with us." ...travel...with them...?

"Yes, you could be a big help when defeating Naraku." The monk agrees.

My eyes widen.

Naraku.

_"Sister!" I scream, as I curl myself up into a ball in the corner of my bedroom. "Sister! Where are you?!"_

_I hear coughing, and I search the room for the source of the cough. "Reiki!" That's her._

_"Hotaru!" I shout, standing up out of my position on the floor. A piece of burning wood falls before me, nearly setting my kimono on fire. "Hotaru! Where are you?!" I walk around the fiery disaster and search for my sister. I hear coughing. That must be her. As I walk into the next room, I feel her aura._

_"Reiki!"_

_"Hold on!" I hold a sleeve to my nose and mouth, not daring to inhale any of the smoke. "I'm coming, Hotaru! Just a little bit longer!" I run towards her aura, I can feel its presence less than a few feet away. My eyes scan the room for the little brown haired girl who is my sister. "Hotaru!"_

_"Reiki!" My eyes widen when I spot her sitting on the floor behind piles of burning wood. "Reiki!" She screams, and I dash towards her. I pull her into a tight embrace and shush her cries as she trembles terribly._

_"Hotaru, we're going to get out of here. Father will find us. Do not worry." The trembling stops and I grow worried. "Hotaru?" I say, pulling the child back from my chest and into my view. "Hotaru, hold on. Please." I look around._

_"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" I almost scream when I hear this voice. The man whom this voice belongs to is not in the room. But then why does he feel so close? I sense evil. No doubt about it._

_"W-who's there?!" I yell, clutching Hotaru to my chest tightly. She mustn't be kept here much longer. I must find a way out._

_"I am known as Naraku around these parts."_

_"N-Naraku, please, get my father!"_

_"And why would I do that?"_

_"P-Please!" I squeeze my eyes shut. They're beginning to tear up due to the amount of smoke._

_"**Reiki**. You could be of good use to me."_

_"Get me out of here and I'll consider!"_

_"I don't know if I like that deal." My grip on Hotaru loosens. I didn't do that… is that horrible demon controlling me?! "How about you come work for me, or you're beloved sister gets to play with fire." Hotaru is pulled out of my grasp swiftly. "Hotaru!" I cry, holding my arm out in attempt to grab her._

_"Give her back! Hotaru!"_

_"Now, now, Reiki. Come work for me and you'll see your sister again. But if you don't…" And then, as if he doesn't even care, he snaps her neck, dropping her into the flames._

_"Hotaru!" I scream, tears blurring my vision. "Y-You foul demon! I will n-never work for you!_"

_"We'll see about that."_

_"You better watch your back, when I tell my father what you—"_

_"I'm afraid your father was searching for you earlier. I took care of him, though. Consider it a favor, from a friend, to a friend."_

_"Father! Hotaru!"_

_…_

_…_

The memory still haunts me everyday. It seems that I cannot escape it. It's horrifying. And to think I never even saw the face of the demon that destroyed my family and made me watch my own sister die. "I-I have no business with Naraku." I'm scared; I'll admit that much. I cannot see him again, I mustn't.

"But you simply must come along to heal us! It would be a great help, please consider." The demon slayer says to me. I bite my lip. That was ten years ago, when I was only nine years old. Hotaru was nearly five. And father… I recall father was rather young. As for mother… I never met her. But it was told that she was beyond beautiful, and that she could heal people with her palms, much like I can today.

I'm no good if I'm not healing others.

That's the only thing special about me.

That's the only reason I live.

To heal.

So, I must go on a journey with this group of friends. It's only fair I contribute healing to the world; after all, that _is_ why I was born.

"Alright." I reply, clenching my fists as my arms hang by my side. I'll do it for father. And for Hotaru. "I'll come with you."

"Oh, good! Thank you!" The demon slayer thanks me, causing me to smile a bit. "I'm Sango, and these are my friends." I nod at her. "This is Inuyasha, but you already knew that." She points to the half-demon whom has his arms crossed. He's eyeing me curiously. "And this is Kagome, and that's Miroku." She motions toward the monk and young girl dressed oddly.

"Nice to meet you." The girl greets me with a welcoming smile.

"Indeed." The monk says, offering me a warm grin. "And this is Shippo and Kirara." He states, looking at the fox and cat demon.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." I comment.

_\- The Limit -_

"So, do tell us, Reiki, how did you get into the palm healing business?" Miroku asks me, as we all walk towards a village.

"I was born into it. My mother was a palm healer, and so that makes me one. However, my mother was killed when I was very young, so I had to learn how to handle my ability on my own."

He nods. "And is healing all you can do? Or is there another benefit from this?"

"I can also feel auras and read them. As well as transfer pain from others to me. However, I've just learned how to do this, so I'm still a little shaky."

"But why would you want to take other people's pain? Wouldn't that hurt you?" Shippo asks me. I nod, looking straight ahead.

"It does." I feel everyone's eyes move to me. "But there is so much pain in the world and it pains me to see others suffering. So I often use my abilities to transfer their pain to me, that way they don't hurt anymore."

"Wow," Miroku says. "I do say, you do a lot to contribute to the world."

It's all for my family.

They're why I do it.

They all suffered because of me. Father came looking for Hotaru and I, causing him to burn in our home, and the fire I started killed Hotaru. I'm unaware of the reason mother died, but I'm _sure_ it had something to do with me. I just can't seem to do anything right.

"Do you have any siblings?" Sango asks.

"No. I'm an only child." I reply. It's better not to mention Hotaru and her death. It would only make them feel sympathy towards me. And I can't stand it when others feel bad for me. It only makes me feel even worse than I did before. I don't need apologies from others when I'm the reason she died. It's simply a waste of time to mention Hotaru. End of story.

"I see." She says, Kirara jumping up onto her shoulder.

"But do you think you can transfer other emotions from people, too? Not only pain?" The human girl, Kagome, asks me. I look at her for a moment before turning my head and staring straight ahead. "I've never thought about doing that." I admit.

"Lady Reiki, what is it that you carry in that bag of yours?" Miroku questions. I lower my gaze towards my rucksack hanging around my shoulder. "It seems far too small to carry any weapons."

"I do not carry weapons. I only carry herbs."

"What? Why don't you bring a weapon?" Shippo asks.

"Because weapons only bring pain to others, and I don't want to hurt anybody." No one deserves to feel the pain I once did. Not even deadly demons.

"But what happens if you're being attacked?" He cocks his head to the side, obviously concerned about my safety.

"I run."

"Don't you get tired?"

"Of course I do. So I rest."

He stops questioning my lifestyle after that. And it stays silent for a while. And I start to wonder what traveling with this group will be like. Surely something good will come out of it.

"Reiki," Kagome says. "I've never heard of someone who lives like you do. It's truly inspiring."

"Thank you, Kagome-chan." I respond, smiling at her.

_\- The Limit -_

"Help! There's been a fire!" A woman screams, running towards us. Inuyasha immediately dashes towards the flaming building. The others rush alongside him. I stop dead in my tracks.

_"Reiki!"_

Hotaru.

"Hey, Reiki! Are you coming?!" Inuyasha shouts at me, eyeing me as he pulls innocent people out of the flaming building.

I mustn't let my pain get in the way.

I nod my head, earning a sly smile from the half-breed. I run towards him and the rest of the group and nearly trip over my own feet. "Over here!" Miroku calls. I hurry to him and notice the burnt child in his arms. "Lay him down." I demand, and he does as told. "Give me some room." I press my palms to the child and watch as all of his burns disappear. I smile at the young boy. "You should be all better now, but remember to keep hydrated, or else those burns might appear again." He nods, thanks me, and runs over to his parents.

"That was amazing."

I look up and am met with Inuyasha's eyes locked on me. "Thank you. Are there more injured?" He nods, pointing to a group of children and parents. I rummage through my bag and hand him many herbs. "Give these to adults that need healing, tell them to chew slowly and savor the tangy flavor."

"What is it?"

"Arata. Hurry now, go on."

I rush over to the children and tell each of them to lie down. I press my hands to a young girl's legs (that's where her burns are located) and press down softly. I feel the burns vanish under my touch and am once again content with the outcome of my ability. I continue to heal every single child until they don't have any more burns.

"Reiki, what you did back there was amazing!" Sango gushes to me as we start to head towards a hut the villagers told us we could live in for the night. "Yeah!" Kagome says. "I've never seen anything like your power before. You will definitely be a great addition to our group."

"Yes, I think we can all agree that it's an honor to have you on our team." Miroku says. Shippo agrees, saying so as he sits on my shoulder, holding onto the back of my neck for support. Even Kirara decides to pipe up and let out a cute meow. "Right, Inuyasha? Won't it be a privilege to have Reiki with us on our journey?"

Inuyasha looks back at me, his arms crossed. Then, without warning, he turns his head in the other direction, directly away from me. "Yes." He replies, and I swear I see the slightest shade of pink form on his cheeks.

Has this half-breed taken a liking to me?

Only time will tell.

**A/N: And that is the end of the first chapter! I do hope you enjoyed it, because I have some _really _great ideas for future chapters. And also, I'm aware that Reiki is a very sad character, but that's one of the most important things about her. Her determination to heal others comes from her dramatic past. So she wouldn't be who she is if her family were alive. It's just the first chapter, so she's yet to open up about certain things with her new friends. Who knows, maybe a certain hanyou will bring her out of her shell. Please don't forget to review, as it encourages me to update faster! Alright, that's all for now, bye!**

**~ Elle**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. I only own my OCs and the plot of this fanfiction.

**Chapter 2: The Iris**

I walk outside the hut and stare at the sky. It's a dark purple… I've never seen it so beautiful. I often use my time to look at its beauty, it's one of the most calming things you can do. I sigh softly; thinking about how much better looking at the sky would be if my father, or Hotaru, were here. My gaze searches the land for no one in particular, and I spot Inuyasha sitting on the field up ahead. He's looking at the sky, too.

My feet bring me to the hanyou sitting cross-legged in the grass. I take a seat next to him and he looks over at me, face blank. However, he turns his head and continues to look up at the stars. He is sad, I can sense it. "You long for the one named Kikyou," I announce, examining his face when I mention her name. He looks at me, shocked.

"Huh?" He asks, staring into my dark blue eyes. I only smile and squint my eyes, looking back up at the now dark blue sky.

"Kikyou," I say. "You love her very much."

He doesn't reply, just continues to look at me. He's unsure of what to do. Whether or not he denies his love for Kikyou, I will always know how he feels. It's all over him. The sadness he tries so hard to hide is his craving to see her again. "You would do anything to be with her." I put my hands in my lap, sighing. "But there's also another girl." This catches him by surprise. "Kagome," I say. "You feel the need to protect her." I still don't hear a reply from him. Thinking that he does not want to speak to me, I rise to my feet.

"Wait," He stops me, holding out his arm to my legs to stop me from leaving. "Sit with me." I oblige and sit down in my previous seat. "So, you can read minds, too?" He jokes, causing me to chuckle half-heartedly. He eyes me like he did this morning. It's almost as if he's trying to read me, and it's moments like these I'm glad I'm the only aura reader alive. My guess is that my aura is full of nothing but shades of blue, and more green than anybody I've ever witnessed.

"It's obvious. It's all over you." He cocks his head to the side, obviously not understanding what I'm trying to say. I shake my head, silently stating that it would be pointless to explain what I mean, as he would still not understand. I've met Priestess Kikyou before, that's how I know of Inuyasha and their previous relationship. I healed her a while back when Naraku attacked her. Her arm had a gigantic cut and it wouldn't heal fast enough for her to survive it.

She's distant. For reasons I can't even understand.

"You shouldn't have to change yourself for anybody," I inform him, locking eyes with the half-demon. I don't explain myself because I know he knows what I'm talking about. You see, Kikyo wanted him to turn human, that way they could spend the rest of their lives together. "Goodnight, Inuyasha." I say, rising to my feet once again. However, this time he does not stop me, meaning he is actually thinking about what I've just said to him.

_\- The Limit -_

"How long have they been out?" Kaede, the old woman who cares for this village, asks me.

"An hour or two."

"I wonder what is taking them so long. I hope everything's alright."

I continue to wash the kimono she handed to me. I've been helping Kaede for the past hour while the others search for jewel shards. Inuyasha insisted I stay behind until I find an acceptable weapon to defend myself with. I tried to explain to him that I don't like using a weapon, but he just took off, the rest of the group following. Sango told me she'd travel with Kirara to find me a blade, or something of the sort.

"Why didn't you go with them?" Kaede asks me, eyebrows raised.

"I don't have a weapon incase something comes after me."

"Oh, a weapon? Well I have a weapon you can use." She stands up slowly, making sure not to hurt her back. She walks over to a cupboard and she rummages through it before pulling out a small flower. She comes back to me and hands it to me. "If you point this iris at someone, the petals will fold up, and daggers will shoot out of them. And if you throw it, the petals will grow into daggers." She explains. "It's a basic weapon, but very dangerous."

I accept the small flower from Kaede and examine it. It looks like any ordinary flower. I smile at the old woman before sliding the iris into my hair. If a demon attacks me, they definitely will not notice this tiny weapon. It's far too small and insignificant for anybody to. They'll simply think it's decoration.

"Thank you, Kaede-sempai."

"Ouch!" Sango's voice fills my ears. "Would you cut that out?!" The gang enters Kaede's home. "Hey, Reiki. We could use some help," She motions to the cuts all over her arms, and the wounds on the others. I nod at her, putting on a look of determination as I walk over to the group quickly. I put Sango's arm around my neck for support and guide her over to one of the sleeping mats spread out.

"Easy now," I say to her, laying her on her back. "Hang on, let me get some water for you." I stand up and get to the sink in a hurry. I fill a cup of water for the demon slayer and walk back over to her, setting the glass to my side. I sit down and pull up her sleeve, causing her to moan in pain. I set my hands on her left arm and focus. My eyes flutter closed and when I open them the cuts are gone.

"T-Thank you." She says, examining her arm.

I furrow my eyebrows, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." She smiles at me, sitting up. "It's just a little overwhelming." I hand her the glass of water and she gladly accepts it.

"Hey, Reiki, Kagome could use some healing too." Miroku says to me, bringing my attention over to the future girl. I rise to my feet and bring myself over to them. "It's her leg." He announces. Kagome lays her leg out for me to heal, and I hold my palms against her cut and feel it vanish under my frail fingers.

"Thank you, Reiki." Kagome grins widely at me.

"Reiki!" I hear Shippo call. "Inuyasha needs healing, too." I smile at the fox demon and walk over to him and the half-breed. "I don't need healing, I'm fine." Inuyasha tells me, however the bleeding gash on his chest says otherwise. "Yeah right!" Shippo laughs at Inuyasha, but that only makes the hanyou pick him up and toss him across the room.

"At least let me bandage you up," Inuyasha's attention is put back on me once again, and I rummage through my bag for a cloth and some medicinal herbs. Araca… Hawthorn… My eyes widen. I don't have any chamomile flowers! "Shippo, could you come here for a second?" The fox demon scurries over.

"Could you please go find me some chamomile flowers? I saw dozens of them welcoming newcomers to the village."

"Oh, sure!" And with that he's off. I smile at the sight of a child as determined as Shippo. I then begin to dab the cloth into a bowl of water, making it damp before pressing it lightly to Inuyasha's wounds. "Ow," He whimpers, tugging away.

"If you don't clean it out, it could get infected." I explain, watching as he contemplates with himself, but sure enough, he hands himself back over to me with a sigh. "Thank you, Inuyasha." His ears twitch at the sound of his name. I begin to clean his wound, dabbing all the bloody spots and dipping it back into water every so often.

"Hey, Reiki?" He says to me, causing me to tear my gaze away from his cuts and place it on his eyes.

"Yes?" I reply, sitting down with my hands by my side.

He thinks to himself for a moment, and then shakes his head. "Never mind." I chuckle at him, causing his cheeks to turn the lightest shade of pink. Before I have the chance to say anything, Shippo comes running back into the building.

"Are these them, Reiki?" He questions, holding out the correct flower.

"That's right, Shippo. Thank you." He seems proud of himself. He hands the medicinal herb over to me and I smile my thanks. I turn back to Inuyasha and continue to clean out his wound until no more blood remains. I then rip a petal of the chamomile flower off and hold it to the cut.

Inuyasha waits patiently until I'm finished. I take into notice that the others have now left the house. Unsure of where they're headed, I turn to Inuyasha. "Where did they go?" He shrugs and watches me rip off another petal and replace the one I'm currently using.

"What does that do?" He questions.

"It prevents infection." I reply.

He waits a moment before asking another question. "Do you like palm healing?"

"It's alright, I suppose. But I was born into it, so I guess it's a must." I pause. "Do you like being a hanyou?"

He thinks about it, obviously putting some thought into his answer. "Eh, it's okay. I'd much rather be a full fledged demon, though."

I grow confused. "Why?" I ask.

"Being stuck in the middle isn't all that great."

I offer him a warm smile before parting my lips to reply. "I think you're pretty great." His eyes widen and I see heat rush to his cheeks. He quickly turns his head to the side, not comfortable with me seeing him blushing. I chuckle lightly. "You're something," I tell him, earning a 'huh?' from the half-breed. "Never mind."

It's silent again, but it's beyond comfortable. This hanyou is starting to grow on me. Pulling me out of my thoughts, Inuyasha turns back to me and gives me a smile before saying, "You're something, too."

**A/N: End of chapter two! It's just a filler chapter, really. I promise the next few chapters will be more exciting! Now that Reiki finally has a weapon, she shall begin traveling (for real) with the Inuyasha gang. I hope you liked this chapter, I sure enjoyed writing it! Don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!**

**~ Elle**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. I only own Amaterasu Reiki and the plot of this fanfiction.

Chapter 3: Numb

_Do it, Reiki. You're in danger, what else are you supposed to do?_

As the demon closes in on me I grab the iris placed in my hair, remembering what Kaede had said. I hold it out towards the demon, away from me, and squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to see the damage it causes. I hear several sharp daggers pop out of the flower and the cries of the demon chasing me. I then hear it fall on the ground with a loud _thud!_

I did it. I _killed._ I'm no better than Naruku. "Reiki!" Sango's screams can be heard from miles away; they echo throughout the forest and are nearly as loud as the heart beating in my chest. "Reiki, are you okay?" Sango is not badly injured, for there is just a tiny mark above her forehead. _So she had been attacked as well._

We had been walking. Sango was exploring with me as I searched for useful herbs and flowers with special healing abilities; however, large monsters that looked like mutations of different insects suddenly attacked us. The monsters expressed a dark purple aura: evil. Sango and I rushed to our fighting positions, when I was hit to the side by the giant creature. That is when I had to use my iris.

After gathering the herbs we planned on obtaining, we head back for Kaede's village to greet the others. This marks the beginning of our travelling together. Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kagome are all waiting for us in Kaede's home, so as soon as Sango and I arrive we are rushed on the road.

We walk for hours before coming across an unconscious boy in the middle of the dirt road. "Oh my God, that poor boy." Kagome says, dropping her bag to go and help the boy who has seemingly collapsed. I stop walking. Inuyasha glances at me, a questioning look under his gaze as my eyes search the empty area we have come across. "Reiki, what are you doing? Come help this kid."

The child's aura is a dark purple, hues of blue and even some green. I have a strange sense of familiarity to this same aura. "I can't help his kind." Everybody looks to me, annoyed and confused. "That child is no human." Kagome is knocked over to the side of the road immediately after I speak; a large demon emerges from the young boy and makes an attack on the time traveller. It's a disgusting looking demon, one of the same Sango and I encountered hours before. Inuyasha yells for Kagome, and I take the liberty to help her walk somewhere for shelter.

I set Kagome down in my lap, her head resting against the fabric of my kimino. As Inuyasha fights the demon I rip off a petal from the chamomile in my rucksack. "Here," I tell Kagome, raising the small herb to her forehead. "This should help the throbbing." She gazes up at me, the oddest look settling in her eyes before she nods, replacing my hand with her own.

The demon refuses to die. It seems to grow stronger every time Inuyasha uses the tessaiga on it. This demon is the most peculiar. I've never seen something so odd. Its aura is so obviously evil; that much is easy to tell, but I can't place where I've met this interesting sense of familiarity. "Reiki, watch out!" I'm snapped out of my thoughts and raise my eyes from Kagome's resting and to the giant spider leg reaching out to me.

_It is then I remembered. _

As this demon grabs me, ripping Kagome from my grasp and dropping her to the ground, I remember where this aura is from. The demon brings a tight grip to my neck, and I desperately try to remove its teasing hold. I can just barely breathe under the fingertips of one of Naraku's demons.

_"Big sister, I'm scared."_

_"We'll be all right, Hotaru, I promise to get you home safe."_

My teeth clench at the memory of my dear baby sister. "Y-You foul d-demon!" I shriek, my fingers attempting to pry off the furry leg groping my neck. "R-Release m-me at o-once!" I can hear the awful sound of Inuyasha cutting off the multiple legs on the creature, but for some reason, cannot see him. My eyes scan the area for a clue as to what is happening. My eyes widen from fear—the demon is creating a force field around us. All I can see is darkness.

"Big sister!" The sound of Hotaru's voice fills my ears and I feel my eyes begin to water. My body grows into a cold stillness and my eyelids begin to feel heavy. My body is dropped to the ground in an instant, and it feels as though I am falling for hours before slamming into the dirt road. The oxygen I have been in such need for reclaimes its spot in my lungs.

A soft hand rubs my back and I cough. My eyes open and I meet Kagome's large eyes. My new comrades are all surrounding me, worried looks in their eyes. And in the distance, miles away, I spot a young girl, dressed in a light blue kimono. "Hotaru." The word flies from my lips in the tiniest of whispers. But when I blink she Hotaru vanishes.

"Hotaru?" Miroku asks. "Who is this 'Hotaru'?"

All eyes are on me. I focus on steadying my breathing, ignoring Miroku's question completely, but nobody seems too bothered. "Are you okay, Reiki?" Kagome questions. "I have no idea why that demon grabbed you and totally ignored me. It's strange…" She places a finger on her chin, as if deep in thought. "It's almost like it knew you."

Dirt is scattered along the fabric of my kimono, so I dust myself off and rise. "I have encountered that demon before. A very long time ago."

Everyone seems intrigued. "What?"

"It is a long story." I sigh, putting a hand on my neck where there are sure to be red marks from nearly being killed. "Please," a small grin makes it's way on my lips, and my eyes squint sweetly, "do not worry for me." None of my friends press the subject, and for that I am grateful.

We begin walking again, but Kagome has to hold my arm over her shoulder because I'm so weak and my legs took damage from the drop to the ground. "We should find shelter, it's getting dark." Miroku declares, glancing up at the sky in a thoughtful fashion. "However, I don't think there is a village for miles. We'll just have to camp out."

"All right. Sounds good to me, I could use a rest." Sango replies, and we then start to look for nice ground to sleep. During our scavenging, we find a hot springs. "Oh boy! It's our lucky day. I need a bath." Kagome states, smiling at me before helping me sit down by a tree. "I say we stay right here. Doesn't that sound nice, Reiki?" I nod at the teenager and smile kindly.

"You ladies bathe on this side, Inuyasha, and I will bathe in the spring opposite this rock." Miroku says, laying a heavy hand on a huge rock dividing two separate hot springs. "Bye, now." As soon as the boys leave Kagome and Sango begin to strip, as do I.

As we all settle into the water, Sango giggles contently. "This is so relaxing. My legs are aching from all the walking we did today." I sit in the corner of the spring, resting my arm against a small rock and digging my back into another. "So, Reiki, tell us more about yourself. We've been traveling together for a number of days but barely know anything about you." Kagome asks, a small grin on his pink lips as she suggests the simple idea.

"What do you want to know?"

"Well, where are you from?"

"I come from an ordinary village. My family was the only palm healing family."

"You mentioned your mother passing, but what about your father?"

"He is no longer alive, either."

"I'm so sorry… I couldn't imagine not having a family."

I shrug, the smile falling from my face at the mention of my loss. "I've learned to live with it." Mother… Father… Hotaru…

"If it's not too personal, can I ask why you left your village? Why did you begin traveling by yourself in the first place?"

Nobody trusted me anymore. After the fire, after the death of my father and Hotaru, nobody wanted anything to do with me. I was banished. Forced to pack up, move out, to hit the road, at only fifteen years old. "I wanted to share my gift with the world and help those in need. The death of my family made me stronger."

"You are an inspiration."

Sango joins our conversation, nodding her head and offering me a sympathetic smile. "Truly."

"Enough about me. I hate talking about myself."

"Kagome, why don't you tell Reiki about your world? I'm sure she'd love to hear about it." Sango senses my discomfort and suggests a new topic to discuss. I nod my head eagerly at Kagome, and she begins to speak of ninja food and school and her friends. I stop listening because I hear something shuffle in a bush.

I feel something nearby. Suddenly it is gone. Moments pass and I feel nothing. I soon rise from my position, stepping out of the spring to get dressed. "I am going for a walk." I announce, pulling on my kimono. "Please excuse me."

The cold air guides me through the forest and toward the moving aura. When it comes to a stop, a large distance away from our campsite, I freeze and take a seat against the stump of a tree. "Lady Kikyou, it's been so long."

"Reiki," Kikyou's voice fills my ears, and she emerges from the shrubs of green. My eyes dance along her figure. Kikyou has a hand raised to her left shoulder, blood staining her pale hands and white kimono. "Kikyou! What's happened?"

"I-I" Kikyou's words came to a pause and she falls to her side, weak. I shush her and rummage through my pockets, hoping to find some spare herbs. I undress her shoulders and press my palms to the bloody skin. The scent of her fresh blood lingers in the air and on my hands. It takes moments before I'm sure the wound has lessened in producing blood.

I am quiet as I work at her shoulder. My palms lie flat across her skin and I feel the strength. Within seconds I am sure it's finished, but when I open my eyes, the wound still remains. Of course, there has been a small amount of progression; the cut has shrunk. My eyebrows furrow and I try again, but simply cannot heal Lady Kikyou's injury completely.

Instead, I ripped a sleeve of my white kimono and wrapped it tightly around Kikyou's shoulder, shushing her quiet whimpers. The blood is seeping through the fabric but it should at least stop the bleeding completely. "R-Reiki," she says, drawing a tired hand over her shoulder.

For the next few minutes Kikyou lies with her head in my lap. We watch the stars and listen to the breeze flow through the trees, waiting for Kikyou to regain her strength.

"I had my soul collectors search for you." Her voice is frail, quiet. It's as if she is about to fall asleep. "My body does not take hits like before."

"You have to be more careful."

"I apologize for asking for your help, Reiki."

"Please don't apologize."

In the distance I can hear the shouting of my name. "Reiki!" Inuyasha's voice is clear. I look to Kikyou to see she hasn't moved at all. "I must go, priestess. Please, take care of yourself." I help Kikyou to her feet and she smiles kindly at me. She disappears in a curtain of her soul collectors. A grin plays at my thin lips.

Inuyasha comes running at me. "Where were you? We thought you got—" his speaking pauses. I watch as his eyebrows furrow, his nose pointed to the sky, Kikyou's scent in the air. He glances at the blood on my hands. Moments pass before I feel him dart closer to me, curling his fingers around my thin neck and slamming me into a large tree. "Where is she?!" He shouts. My breathing shortens and my eyes squint into small slits.

_"Where is she?!"_

_"Big sister!"_

"Inuyasha, sit boy!" Kagome shouts, and Inuyasha releases my neck, slamming to the floor with a loud _THUD!_ I gasp for air and replace the redness on my neck with my own fingers, as if to confirm I am no longer being choked. "What is going on here?!" I fall to my knees and attempt to steady my breathing.

"Inuyasha, what were you thinking?!" Kagome growls, running to me to help me to my feet. The blood on my hands transfers to Kagome's own palms. I glance at the hanyou slammed into the surface of dirt. "Reiki, are you all right? Where's all this blood coming from?"

A part of me prays for Kikyou to reappear, to explain what had happened so it didn't look like I had done her harm. I rub my red fingers against the cloth of my kimono, but the blood has tried and it will not come off.

Had the miko planned it to be like this?

* * *

a/n

ok hi its been more than a year im so sorry omg

uhh this is super late. im still here? school is a thing? i am awful at updating? these are not good excuses but it's the truth

leave this a review if ya want and follow it i guess? some people are following this story and tbh if you are reading this ur amazing. ok bye


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